It's Not Rocket Science: 4 Simple Strategies for Mastering the Art of Execution

Chapter 19The Power of Preparation

The Challenge

Many leaders are good at winging it, shooting from the hip, or operating out of instinct every day and still getting results. They have high talent and energy levels that allow them to move forward despite their lack of adequate preparation or personal growth. Eventually, however, this person plateaus and soon discovers that he or she failed to lay a sound foundation to sustain and increase that success. They've taken the organization as high as they could employing the sloppy strategy of making things up as they went along.

Power Points on Preparation

Preparation builds confidence, reduces stress, and helps you move your organization ahead further and faster. Knowing in advance what to do as you face certain scenarios defines your leadership as strong, assured, and decisive. Following are 14 common realities that we all face as leaders. Your proper response to them will help shape your process, culture, team, and results.

1. The prepared response for winning is to: give credit to the team and then spend 80 percent of your time building on your strengths and 20 percent fixing weaknesses. Working on weaknesses gets you by; working on strengths gets you great.
2. The prepared response for losing is to: accept responsibility for the failure, make or accept no excuses, learn from it, adjust, and grow because of it.
3. The prepared response for making a mistake is to: admit it quickly, learn from it, and don't repeat it.
4. The prepared response ...